Degustation

musigny, richebourg or chambertin? #1

By billn on March 12, 2007 #degustation

three grand crus
I decided it’s time to pull out a trio of long-term grand crus this week just to see what’s cooking in the cellar. One with relatively poor reviews, one that courts controversy and one that you hardly ever see. I think I’ll play a game with you again and put the notes up unattributed – I’ll just put the labels to the notes at the end of the week.

The three:
1997 Grivot, Richebourgtry to find this wine... – as a cuvée this has had a much better reputation since 99 – when the price unfortunately went up by about 60% – that was the last one I bought as the price continued to rise. The 97 had a poor write-up by Allen Meadows in his 2002 Richebourg retrospective, but to be fair all the other 97’s tested were also rather poor. I might as well open one now – what’s to lose?
1998 Bouchard Père et Fils, Chambertintry to find this wine... – hard to find as BP&F own such a small plot of vines, the production is only about 100 cases. I’m looking forward to opening this as I’ve no reference points for this wine.
1998 de Vogüé, Musigny Vieilles-Vignestry to find this wine... – it’s a style thing, but de Vogüé have managed to garner quite some criticism from burgundy buyers – but not from critics like Coates and Meadows who regularly appraise the wines as exceptional. It’s the first time I’ve popped one of these corks, I think it should be interesting!

Wine #1 on opening:
Medium-plus core of garnet red. The nose starts wide, slightly unfocused with deep and brooding fruit and a cedar note that’s reminiscent of many a 2004. The initial texture is quite silky though in the mid-palate there is quite some grainy tannin that despite showing a little bitterness seems to help cement the very long finish. The flavours are mineral rather than fruit driven; quite some creamyness underpinning more cedar on the palate, it’s mouthwatering without being overly fresh.
After 45 minutes:
The nose is now starting to show a little meatyness, and that brooding fruit is now showing glimpses of red, the cedar element is slowly withdrawing. On the palate the bitterness is still there but is less in the ascendant.
After 90 minutes:
The nose is slightly fresher, no cedar, perhaps a little spiced tea. The mid-palate dimension seems even better, though the overall effect is a little blurred – like a soft-focus picture. Summarising, there’s plenty of grand cru dimension, some secondary flavours and a structure that would benefit from another 3-5 years storage – but there’s no wow factor here.

sigaut 2000 chambolle 1er chatelots

By billn on March 11, 2007 #degustation

2000 Hervé Sigaut, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Chatelotstry to find this wine...
Medium, medium-pale ruby red. The nose is wide with cooked red fruit notes. The palate is soft and sweet, again with a slightly roasted fruit profile. Low acidity and a medium finish – little tannin to speak of. It’s okay, but lacks both freshness and complexity.
Rebuy – No

pousse d’or 95 volnay 1er caillerets

By billn on March 11, 2007 #degustation

pousse d'or volnay
There was a little trepidation when I opened this – the cork didn’t smell that great – but the first sniff from the glass came with a clear message “you have been drinking too much young stuff!” Wonderful aromatics. I have to say that I shy away from pulling older bottles out of the cellar, they somehow seem so finite vs the shelves full of 2001 vintage and onwards.
1995 Pousse d’Or, Volnay 1er Cru Les Cailleretstry to find this wine...
Medium garnet core with a more mahogany rim. The nose started wide and forward with bloody, earthy tones. Plenty of time in the glass and you settle to a mineral, raisined cranberry expression, very lovely. The palate is much more understated and lithe, still with just a faint ‘jarr’ to the fine tannin. The acidity is good and you’ll find an equally good intensity from the mid-palate into the finish. Could still do with another 3 or so years in the cellar, but no crime to drink now.
Rebuy – Yes

jean-marc boillot 05 montagny 1er

By billn on March 07, 2007 #degustation

jean marc boillot montagny
Rather than an oak-based savoury and serious wine in the style of the 2004 Jadot Chardonnay, this wine (which is usually quite simple) shines with energy and flavour in 2005. It’s about 60% more expensive than the Jadot 04, but is worth the extra outlay.
2005 Jean-Marc Boillot, Montagny 1er Crutry to find this wine...
Medium yellow. The nose is quite deep with a little spicy butterscotch, swirling releases a denser and higher-toned fruit aspect. Lithe, sweet with a kick into the mid-palate before the mouth-watering acidity rushes you into the finish. The sweetness of the ripe fruit brings fine balance. A lovely ebullient wine that is yet another contender for house wine this summer.
Rebuy – Yes

sauzet 2000 villages chassagne

By billn on March 06, 2007 #degustation#p.ox

oxidised2000 Etienne Sauzet, Chassagne-Montrachettry to find this wine...
Golden colour – maybe a little too golden for the vintage. The nose confirms it, oxidised – not too badly to drink, or too strident – a level that would be forgivable if it was ten years older. The palate has some width and creamy, oaky flavours of reasonable length. Despite almost good acidity there is no energy here.
Our winemaker lunch companion summed it up in one word – tired.
Rebuy – No

jadot 04 bourgogne chardonnay

By billn on March 04, 2007 #degustation

jadot amalgum cork
There’s only one thing that I really dislike about this wine – the cork – or should I say the cork ‘amalgam’. It’s purely empirical, but I find a very high taint rate from similar ‘cheap’ closures – no problem with this bottle though.
2004 Louis Jadot, Bourgogne Chardonnaytry to find this wine...
The 2002 was my house wine last summer so it’s only fair to try out the 2004. Medium yellow. The nose is less sweet oak dominated than the 02, it’s higher toned, just a little floral with a quite subtle oak base. This has a quite rich texture that’s offset by a little dissolved gas which makes the acidity a little prickley. There’s a nice expansion of creamy flavour in the mid-palate and a more than reasonable length. Give it time and the prickle is gone and the palate is nicely smooth. Just a little less rich and sweet than the 2002. It’s very good for the price if not quite as good as the 2002 – though this very young – it has a chance of being a house wine for summer 2008, but won’t make it for 2007, the 05’s are currently too good.
Rebuy – Yes

back with a full notebook

By billn on March 01, 2007 #degustation#site updates#travel

tasting time
Two days, 7 visits, 140 wines. 80% 2005, 10% 2006, 5% 2004 and some others…

I have to say ‘chapeau’ to those professionals that fit in 5-10 visits per 7:30am-7:30pm day. I think I’d be finished in a month because this (for me) is an escape from work. That said, it was one of my most enjoyable trips yet – always learning, lubricated by the ‘good stuff’.

I learned about: a monopole almost with a history to challenge Romanée-Conti (plus it’s very ambitious owner), about JC Boisset’s ruffling of feathers in Gevrey (screwcaps), how fast you can buy a domain in Burgundy (about 24 hours for the handshake), how to be successful if you can only explain Burgundy (M&M), a surprising place to serve the ‘Enfant Jesus’ and finally – just in case you wanted to know – that the 2005 ‘René Engel’ Grands-Echézeaux tastes great – you just need to know how to find it – coming soon in the next Burgundy-Report (after I made my order).
;-)
It’s a tough deadline but the spring issue of the Burgundy-Report has to be up and running by the 23rd March – because on the 24th I’ll be skiing – assuming there is snow!
Cheers

96 thomas-moillard corton clos du roi

By billn on February 28, 2007 #degustation

1996 Domaine Thomas-Moillard, Corton Clos du Roitry to find this wine...
A medium-plus ruby-red core. The nose is about iron and soft, sweet, musky notes topped with fainter blackberry. Linear and intense, this is classic 1996 with mouth-watering acidity and a faint but lingering length. It’s a very clean, concentrated and tidy wine that’s showing little in the way of development and will probably require at least another 5 years to turn a little friendly…
Rebuy – Yes

04 clos des varoilles

By billn on February 25, 2007 #degustation

clos des varoilles 2004
2004 Domaine des Varoilles, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Clos des Varoillestry to find this wine...
Medium, medium-plus cherry-red. The nose hovers close to fantastic – beautiful red berry fruit edged with cream – but from time to time there’s a rather powder and indistinct edge, the wine could never quite make up its mind. The palate is nicely textured with good intensity and acidity. The tannins are well covered with sweet fruit and a lovely creamy edge to the finish too. There was no sign of green in this wine, but one-third of the bottle lay in the fridge overnight; the nose is now earthy with a strong cedar streak – no red fruit and ‘no love’! A Jeckyll and Hyde performance reminiscent of this Clos St.Jacques.
Rebuy – Maybe

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